# Why pipes are for older people doesn't make sense



## evazan (Mar 29, 2008)

Since I started smoking the pipe about 2 weeks ago I have been thinking a lot about this. Among people in my age group, college students, cigars are a much more common method of enjoying premium tobaccos then pipes. In a lot of posts I have read here people talk about how their SO believes the pipe makes them look too old or like a grandpa. However, due to one predominant factor I think that this line of thought is backwards.

A huge aspect of college life is being poor and as a result we are as cheap as possible. I have had numerous discussions with friends on how to eat for less then a dollar a day. At parties only the cheapest beer and liquor is consumed and as a whole we pirate more movies and music then any other age group. Why then is it the norm to be smoking a 5 dollar cigar rather then a bowl of tobacco worth :2.

I wasn't aware of the huge price difference between pipe tobacco and cigars before I started. If I was aware of this I would have picked up the pipe much sooner . To top it off, I believe that I enjoy the pipe better then cigars. It could be the fact that since the tobacco is so much cheaper I am able to try out more kinds. In my two weeks of pipe smoking I have been able to try as many different blends of tobacco as different cigars I have smoked in two years. Plus I am also not worried about the fact that I'm smoking 5 days worth of food! 

It would be great if this stigma could be broken. In the 90's we had a cigar boom, now it is time for my generation to discover the joys of the pipe.


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## SR Mike (Feb 4, 2008)

Some believe the pipe boom is already on its way. For me, growing up I have seen two groups of people that smoke pipe, the elderly and those between 16-30, that is the way I have always viewed pipes. Either way, I will always enjoy cigars too.


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## wharfrathoss (Dec 27, 2006)

i think this is one of those stereotypes that's gonna be real hard to break-i'm 34 but i get strange looks anywhere but the B&M when i'm smoking my pipe-it was even worse when i had dreadlocks 1/2way down my back, you can imagine-i think people may lean toward cigs & cigars more due to the learning curve w/a pipe-w/society being so fast paced, a lot of people just won't take the time to sit & smoke a bowl-since my old lady won't go for cigar smoking in the house but will deal w/the pipe, it fills an important purpose for me-gotta say i've been smoking less cigars since i picked up the pipe again, quit cigs too so i'm saving $ in all kinds of ways


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## parris001 (Mar 29, 2008)

I think it's less stigma than it is convenience. The pipe takes more practice and experience. I'm a pipe smoker because of the price and the fact that I find the baccy selection more flavorful.


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## JacksonCognac (Nov 12, 2007)

Yeah I'm with ya evazan. After getting back into pipes this past year, I wanted to pick up a few cigars. Truth be told, I can't afford em. 

Another thing for college kids always moving around and stuff is maintaining the humidor... it's pretty difficult unless you are really dedicated. I happen to enjoy the no frills aspect of a pipe.


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## DubintheDam (Jun 5, 2007)

In my entire life, I have only ever seen 1 pipe smoker under the age of 45, and that was about two weeks ago, a rasta style dude smoking American Spirit in a pipe. He looked pretty cool.

It seems to me that in the USA there does seem to be some trend for people to smoke a pipe when they go to university, this I have only become aware of since joining this forum. I think there is a element also of younger people smoking pipes partly because there is such a strong anti cigarette smoking social movement in the States.

I know I bought my first pipe when I was forty (I will be 42 this Saturday), I felt I had earned the right of passage so to speak. I'm all for young people smoking a pipe as a somewhat healthier and more pleasurable experience than cigarette smoking, however I dislike the idea of people smoking a pipe just because it projects a more intellectual image or form of academic superiority. But above all I dislike pipe smokers who consider themselves 'BETTER' than any other type of smoker...that's called being a 'snob', plain and simple.


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## PipesandGOP (Feb 7, 2008)

Being of college age I can definately agree that cigar smoking gets quite expensive for us younger BOTL. I've been pretty into cigars for the past couple of years and had really gotten used to having one after work and a couple on the weekend. Then all of a sudden the enjoyment just started kind of fading. Soo I'd mentioned some time back that I really wanted a pipe but could never see spending the money to buy one so my girlfriend figured it'd be a good gift and it was. Ever since I got it there's been no better time than the hour and a half I sit outside drinking a cup of coffee and just kind of well... enjoying not having one single care in the world for that little bit of time. Not to mention I can pack a bowl in the car (not while driving of course :ss) and enjoy it all afternoon. Another great thing has to be all the different blends out there and unlike a cigar, it doesn't cost 10 bucks each to try them. 

So yea, for me being younger part of it did have to do with money, but a big part of it just had to do with being willing to do what I enjoy without really worrying about whether or not people are going to walk by and go "haha look that guy looks like an old man" or whatever. 

So I don't know, maybe they think it's just cooler to smoke cigars, or they dont have the gonads to just try something new. For me I just realized hey I have everything I could want right now in life, why worry about stuff like that (although I have to admit, I have thought about this same thing and also like pictured an old man smoking when I see people with a pipe).


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## Ultravox (Jan 4, 2007)

I started smoking the pipe about a year ago, when I was 17. I certainly agree with the price argument concerning pipes vs. cigars, but either way us Brits still get screwed through taxes. :hn 

Since going to university, whenever other students see me with my pipe, their first reactions are usually to ask why the hell I would smoke a pipe at my age, since it's (apparently) for 80 year olds and Hugh Hefner only... That's usually followed with their summary of me, that is to say that I'm 'pretentious'. I was under the impression that students were supposed to be open-minded and radical. Oh well. 

Having said that, I popped into my local B&M with a couple of friends so one of them could pick out a cheap pipe to 'test the waters' and help him off of cigarettes. I've been in the shop before, but I don't think the gentleman behind the counter recognised me. Anyway, he was rather receptive of us lot and our interest in pipes. He gave my friend a brief rundown of what to do and such, and seemed to appreciate our interest in such a stigmatized hobby. It seems the older chaps are happier to see us members of the younger generations contented with a pipe than my peers. I suppose it has to do with accessibility and the 'quick-hit' of the cigarette that my generation seeks; something that the pipe is far from.

Personally, I think it quite suits the image of an English Literature student even if I don't fit the bill of a typical pipe smoker. p


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## BamBam (Feb 24, 2008)

evazan said:


> Since I started smoking the pipe about 2 weeks ago I have been thinking a lot about this. Among people in my age group, college students, cigars are a much more common method of enjoying premium tobaccos then pipes. In a lot of posts I have read here people talk about how their SO believes the pipe makes them look too old or like a grandpa. However, due to one predominant factor I think that this line of thought is backwards.
> 
> A huge aspect of college life is being poor and as a result we are as cheap as possible. I have had numerous discussions with friends on how to eat for less then a dollar a day. At parties only the cheapest beer and liquor is consumed and as a whole we pirate more movies and music then any other age group. Why then is it the norm to be smoking a 5 dollar cigar rather then a bowl of tobacco worth :2.
> 
> ...


I'm 26 and I enjoy smoking a pipe also. Although not as much as a cigar. But that is my reference. I understand what you are saying though about the age stigma. Sometimes when I smoke pipe at work I get some strange looks, as well as neing called "Popeye" or "Admiral". But that's okay when I light that pipe up its like a light to a moth. I normally get a group coming around just to enjoy the smell. Popeye Out.


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## ShaulWolf (Feb 5, 2007)

I'm 22 and I have four pipes, mostly gifted from dad. I get a couple odd looks downtown from the college-hippie-knowitalls but most of the guys around me say that they love the smell and that the pipe looks sharp. Maybe it's just going to a military college, not sure, but I haven't had anyone say anything negative.


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## evazan (Mar 29, 2008)

I would say I agree with most of what is being said. I hope I didn't portray in my first post that the only reason to smoke a pipe was because it is cheaper. That was just an extra advantage I discovered after I began. At this point in time the cigar still definitely has its place for me. I haven't broken the pipe out in public yet and I'm not really sure when I will. For me the two offer very different experiences and the experience I'm looking for more often comes from the pipe. When I'm smoking a pipe I prefer to be alone and use the time for private contemplation. Once the weather gets warmer and I start backpacking again I could just imagine the pleasure of waking up and lighting up a bowl. However, If I'm with some buddies the cigar is still my go to smoke. I find cigar smoke tends to take away from the experience of the pipe anyway.

So for all I know I could be surrounded by a bunch of closet pipe smokers such as myself. Either way I'm enjoying the experience.


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## ShaulWolf (Feb 5, 2007)

I know exactly how you feel about the two being completely different experiences. I do the same thing: pipes for personal time and cigars with friends. Not sure what it is but smoking a pipe and being by yourself just seems to be really relaxing and lets you think things over a little more. At the same time there's nothing like hanging out with the guys and smoking stogies.


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## ML1980 (Mar 29, 2008)

I don't care what pople think. LOL I love Tobacco, It don't matter in what shape are form, Chew, Cigars , Cigarettes, Pipes, I even like buying different cigarette tobacco and rolling my own. And I think alot of people here feel the same. :ss


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## dogsplayinpoker (Jan 23, 2007)

Price of the cigars that I enjoy has always been a factor for me at 18 and now at 34. Pipes are an expense, to be sure, but a more long term payoff than cigars. The idea of pipe smokers as "old" has many flaws. Most non-smokers who make this comment are stuck on an image from the past. They see the pipe as old-fashioned but what they fail to understand is that throughout time, pipe smoking was very trendy and many age groups participated. I don't particularly care what others think of my pipe smoking but if they get the impression that I am smarter or more mature, that ain't bothering me. They are decidedly incorrect but what they don't know doesn't hurt me.


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## tazziedevil (Sep 8, 2005)

when i smoked my pipe at college, I would always get lots of people asking "Dude, is that weed in there?" and after assuring them it wasn't, they would give me a strange look and walk off again.

I did go to the University of Oregon, though. Might explain part of it.


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## SAjunidog (Oct 1, 2007)

tazziedevil said:


> when i smoked my pipe at college, I would always get lots of people asking "Dude, is that weed in there?" and after assuring them it wasn't, they would give me a strange look and walk off again.
> 
> I did go to the University of Oregon, though. Might explain part of it.


Certainly not unique to Oregon, I get that everywhere. Personally I don't think the pipes = grandfather image is going to change for a long time at least, because there simply aren't enough younger smokers to disprove it. As for the image it puts off I'm with DPP.


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## PipesandGOP (Feb 7, 2008)

ML1980 said:


> I don't care what pople think. LOL I love Tobacco, It don't matter in what shape are form, Chew, Cigars , Cigarettes, Pipes, I even like buying different cigarette tobacco and rolling my own. And I think alot of people here feel the same. :ss


Amen!

I agree with what everyone's saying about the merits for cigars and pipes for sure- a cigar's always great when you're out, much easier to smoke than the pipe. My pipe's kinda like my "me" time, when I'm either doing the things I enjoy most like a good hike or riding through the country, or just unwinding after a long day.

And I just found out about the trends of yesteryear the other day. This old psychologist came in where I work the other day and I mentioned something about falling asleep under a tree with my pipe during lunch and he laughed and started talking about how he had a little dunhill billiard he got in his 20's because that was the thing to do in that proffesion, especially if you wanted to appear to be a know it all 25 year old lol.


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## Mr.Lordi (May 20, 2007)

This is how I always assumed people thought of pipes.


teenage-20's with pipe=:w

30's-40's= intelligent professionals. (psychologist and stuff)

50+= the norm (in terms of pipes that is.)

Edit: Nothing like a broad generalization, about broad generalizations. lol


I notice when I say I smoke cigars and pipe tobacco, people disregard the last part and go "Oh, cigars?" apparently they think all young people with pipes are pot smoking hippies. I tend to take offense, cause I have never smoked pot nor intend to ever do so. It's not even older people with that stereotype either, its young people as well. 

I made fun of a friend of mine once. She had a corncob pipe and I was like "Oh, I have one too" and she was like "I use mine for pot" yeah, that killed the conversation. Although I did get her to try my Frog Morton once. She said it taste like plastic. She loved MacBarren navy flake though. So the consensus is "Stoners love MacBarren" lol. I gave her a short, corn cob I had cause I didn't use it often. I can only wonder what is happing to that poor cob. 

anyways, before I digress anymore from the topic, I just want to add that you do what you like, regardless of what age group the sterotype might be. If a pipe is your thing, enjoy it. I do suggest though, not to be too into stuff "older gentleman" might be into. Cause incontinence in college is definitely not cool. lol

p


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## BigFrankMD (Aug 31, 2007)

I started smoking a Pipe at 23. For me, I have always been a fan of tobacco. Early years of skoal and cigarettes slowly led me into a B&M where I picked up cigars. Then after coming across this site, I was pushed down the pipe slope.

Smoking a Pipe is just another means in my endless quest to destroy all things Tobacco by means of a fiery death.


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## Gambit (Apr 4, 2008)

I started with a pipe at around 21 years old and I was serious. I bought a book on the art of pipe smoking, saved some hard earned money, bought a couple of semi-expensive freehands and drew those strange looks from the general public.

It was something I enjoyed a great deal for a few years. Then cigars came into the picture. 

There was a pipe shop in Baton Rouge in the late 70's (ancient history) where the old pipe smokers were very helpful and fostered my interest. I think it was a Tinder Box.

A big part of the pleasure was holding, maintaining and just holding the pipe. It was an 'experience' to own and care for beautiful smoking implements and the feel of smooth warm briar to the hand was fine. I think most pipe smokers enjoy the 'experience' of the pipe.

For some unknown reason, I now prefer cigars. But, that's just me.


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## Arizona (Jul 19, 2007)

I started smoking a pipe at 18 and all thru college- a corn cob that I still have in fact. Through the years I've set my pipes aside for various periods of time over the years but I always kept them nicely packed away when not in a smoking period of life. But now in my mid-40's I enjoy my pipes more than ever and it's a part of my daily routine.

The relaxation and those moments of contemplation and peacefullness of smoking a favorite old pipe are some of life's greatest...


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## Some Dark Holler (Oct 29, 2007)

It's strange, I never had that reservation about breaking my puffer out in public. When I got my first pipe I was just thinking about how awesome it was that I actually had a pipe. I always kind of idolized the pipe, I guess you can idolize on object... Anyway, I think my personality just prevented me from having that reservation, I was ready to rebuke anyone who called me grandpa for smoking it.

I have gotten the weed smoking question, and, remarkably, I've had people ardently deny that I actually just use it for tobacco. However, I have also had a lot of good experiences with it. I've made friends with people who come up and say, "Whoa, you're smoking a pipe? That's so cool." Then I usually give 'em a little puff and explain some of the nuances of it. 

I've also noticed a surprising number of other young pipe smokers around campus. Obviously it doesn't compare to the number of people smoking cigarettes or cheap cigars, but there are more than I would've guessed. In fact, just the other night I met a chap who inherited 6 pipes from his grandfather but had barely messed with them because he didn't really know how to go about the whole process. He's going to break them out and I'm going to help give them a good cleaning, then I'll share my 'baccy and we'll have a jolly good time.


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Some Dark Holler said:


> ...I have gotten the weed smoking question, and, remarkably, I've had people ardently deny that I actually just use it for tobacco. ...


I get really irritated with those inane questions "whaddya smokin in that thing?" - I usually snap back with equally idiotic responses:
"Mayonnaise"
"Chicken"
"Toothpaste"
or whatever comes to mind. Works wonders.


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## dls (Aug 3, 2007)

I'm 19, and I've been smoking a pipe and cigars since right after I turned 18. I agree that the stereotype is a little off, but it appears to be on its way out. I've encountered nothing but warm welcomes to the pipe community from all of the older pipers, who seem to be more concerned with the preservation of this hobby, dare I say art, than they do the age bracket of the practitioner.


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## Cruiscin90 (Apr 21, 2008)

I started smoking pipe in high schoool. I noticed the exact same thing you did: it's so cheap, and you can get good stuff for cheap as well.

As cigarette prices continue to rise, pipe will gain momentum, just as cigarillos have. I enjoy my pipe very much, although I'd always prefer a cigar. Still, when I'm strapped for cash (which is often!) I'll definitely pack a pipe.

I don't know when pipe became the elderly thing to do. Maybe it's always been like that. It seems like something that would have started around the civil war. Of course, that's just conjecture, and nothing else

Anyway, I totally agree with you.


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## dkbmusic (May 6, 2008)

Out of all of the pipe smokes that I know IRL, all but TWO are under 30 years old (and one of those two is me!). I agree that there is a new pipe boom that is starting.


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## OldCode (Oct 9, 2007)

I believe I was 19 or 20 when I picked up a pipe. I have smoked one off and on ever since. I think all the pipe smokers need to puff more in public. The reason that it’s an “old man” hobby is because it went out of favor for a while with the “anti-smoking” movement and our culture got in a dang hurry. 
Like many of you I have been surprised at the people I meet that have smoked a pipe or have been thinking about it. I have met lots of people that may be opposed to cigarettes but have no problem with pipes. I think that for us young guys the pipe is has a curious intrigue about it and could become popular again. And for some of the older generations the pipe may remind them of “old men” but also of times in the past when sitting on the front porch with a pipe and chatting with your neighbor was the norm. I really hope that a great deal of the “anti-smoking” movement was driven by the typical push of young people that want to buck the establishment. If this is so then we could be blessed with the same push but with a fresh generation that want the establishment to stop putting up “no smoking” signs and let us do what we please…and enjoy a nice bowl of tobac.


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## DubintheDam (Jun 5, 2007)

Life doesn't make sense...dub!


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

parris001 said:


> I'm a pipe smoker because of the price and the fact that I find the baccy selection more flavorful.


That about sums it up for me as well.


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## dkbmusic (May 6, 2008)

You know, over the last couple of months that I've been hanging out in my local B&M, I'd say easily 50% of the people that come in to the shop are looking at pipes and they are all in their twenties. I think it's a good sign for the future...


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## OldCode (Oct 9, 2007)

here here!


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

dkbmusic said:


> You know, over the last couple of months that I've been hanging out in my local B&M, I'd say easily 50% of the people that come in to the shop are looking at pipes and they are all in their twenties. I think it's a good sign for the future...


I like this post. Kudos to you dude! I also think its important to remember that while pipes and cigars have been around and been popular for a long time it was just for a few generations that cigarettes were popularized and then only through advertising and glorification/promotion in TV and Hollywood. Surely those two things have something to do with the cultivation of the "old man image".


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## rlaliberty (Jul 6, 2008)

This thread has been a good read. Im a younger guy. Only 19, been smoking for a bit over a year...i think. maybe closer to 2 years.

not sure why i smoke it really. good taste, good feeling, good price, good aesthetic. i dunno really. cant pin it down to a single thing. i just like it. i think that is surely enough.

id still prefer the old man comparison any day to the idiotic "you got weed in there, man" questions. enough of that!


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## smokehouse (Jan 31, 2007)

rlaliberty said:


> This thread has been a good read. Im a younger guy. Only 19, been smoking for a bit over a year...i think. maybe closer to 2 years.
> 
> not sure why i smoke it really. good taste, good feeling, good price, good aesthetic. i dunno really. cant pin it down to a single thing. i just like it. i think that is surely enough.
> 
> id still prefer the old man comparison any day to the idiotic "you got weed in there, man" questions. enough of that!


All those things you said is why I smoke a pipe.. I don't care if people look at me funny, because I am in my thirtys and I smoke a pipe. Its taste damn good and I like it. I have asked a couple people that are occasional cigar smokers about smoking a pipe and they said, thats something I will do when I am 50.


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## mcdevster (May 31, 2008)

For me smoking, at least at this point, is not a social activity whatsoever.. I usually find a place to retreat where i can be alone (this can be challenging sometimes).. That being said, I can't stand the amount of hostility projected onto smokers in general.. I think many times it is not the smoker who is looking for attention so much as the person judging the smoker.. and this is true of cigarettes, cigars, and pipes.. You would think that with all the obstacles placed against a person's freedom of choice you would at least be able to go out somewhere without being stared at or faced with rolling eyes etc.. anyway i'm done ranting sorry..


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## mcdevster (May 31, 2008)

oh yeah i forgot the part about age... 
yes age is just another log on that fire.. people gawk at anything different than what they expect without realizing how weird they are themselves.. I mean here we are orbiting around the sun on this mysterious rock - i mean how weird is that in the first place?


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## bige610 (Jul 1, 2008)

I am 26 and none of my friends enjoy cigars or pipes. none of them enjoy singal malt scotch either. I think im just and old man stuck in a a young body. I dont really care what they say i just like enjoying things. Most of the time i hang out by myself any ways. I am trying to bring the pipe back though becuase i think its a great pastime. Its kind of hard with all this anti smoking crap. I can only smoke really at home or in my car.


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## Corn Mouth (Jun 12, 2008)

rlaliberty said:


> the idiotic "you got weed in there, man" questions.


I'm so sick of getting asked that. Since when were briar pipes associated with weed? I think by the time today's younger generation came about that they never really had a family member who smoked a pipe, so they don't realize that great scent grandpa made with his pipe was tobacco if they've ever smelt it at all.


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## dkbmusic (May 6, 2008)

Actually, my first exposure to a briar pipe was through my father (I'm sure many of us can say that). However, my dad generally smoked pot in his pipe. Now, being 4 years old, I of course had no idea that it was pot. In fact, I was probably in my late teens or early twenties before I realized he had been smoking pot all those years...


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## paperairplane (Nov 8, 2007)

I think another consideration, you don't see the Terminator smoking a pipe do you.... all the "weekend warriors" on their chromed out HD's aren't smoking pipes... No one in Vegas is opening a "Pipe Bar"...

The biggest pop culture reference I can think of recently was DeNiro smoking a cob in "Men of Honor" - and he was a huge racist @ss.

Otherwise, it's some old soldier / coot / fogey or a wizard.

People respond to celebrities, so unless you get Johnny Depp and Demi Moore showing up at events with briars - ain't gonna happen.


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## mcdevster (May 31, 2008)

the biggest pipe smoking celebrity is probably stephen fry right now...
and i don't think many people in the us follow his work.. he is a good english actor/comedian though..


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## Dailong (Jul 6, 2008)

Ultravox said:


> Since going to university, whenever other students see me with my pipe, their first reactions are usually to ask why the hell I would smoke a pipe at my age, since it's (apparently) for 80 year olds and Hugh Hefner only...


Yeah I got that too... but then I got a Hugh Hefneresque smoking jacket and had two gorgeous girls on each arm and a pipe in my mouth. People shut up rather quickly after that.

I do still smoke cigars those and probably more often. Since my school has banned smoking on campus it is easier for me to ditch a cigar than my nice pipe.

Pham


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## epyon26 (Dec 16, 2007)

I've been smoking pipes and cigars for 7 years now, I'm 22, and I got the looks, questions, and being called "old man". But keep your head up and be proud of your pipe. My pipe kept my awake while I drove to and from college every morning. so be proud and STAND YOUR GROUND to the antis, and fools that don't know better.:sb


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## rlaliberty (Jul 6, 2008)

dailong, what school do you go to? they banned smoking on campus??? not even designated areas? thats absurd. good luck with that. i dno what id do. luckily im off campus now!


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## dogsplayinpoker (Jan 23, 2007)

rlaliberty said:


> dailong, what school do you go to? they banned smoking on campus??? not even designated areas? thats absurd. good luck with that. i dno what id do. luckily im off campus now!


They banned smoking on USC campus. I always knew academia was a joke.


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## robertw1249 (Apr 27, 2008)

hi all i used to work for a college in cali for 6 year and i got some strange looks from people when i was on break smoking my pipe i got sick of it one day i found a cigar and pipe shop just down the street in the village so when i went on my lunch break i went down there to smoke my pipe with other pipe and cigar smoker like my self


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## Dailong (Jul 6, 2008)

rlaliberty said:


> dailong, what school do you go to? they banned smoking on campus??? not even designated areas? thats absurd. good luck with that. i dno what id do. luckily im off campus now!


I go to UNC-Chapel Hill. The NC legislature gave the Chancellor of every state funded university the ability to determine smoking policy. First it was banned in the hospital area which makes sense initially until you realize that UNC hospitals covers several acres. Then on January 1st 2008 Smoking within 100 feet of UNC buildings was banned. There no designated areas per se but the flag pole on Polk Place (Main Quad) attracts quite a few smokers. There is even an ashtray now. There is no real enforcement policies in place for it. Technically an employee can be fired but that hasn't happened to my knowledge.

UNC's campus is beautiful and more so without the cigarette butts but it doesn't make sense: UNC is on Tobacco Road ironically enough.

Pham


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## TU09 (Mar 26, 2006)

When I was in school (not that long ago) you could not smoke in a dorm unless everyone on the same HVAC system approved of it and there was a clause saying you could not smoke within a certain distance of any university owned building though it wasn't enforced at all. 

As far as the age thing is concerned, the tobacco nazis have likely deterred a lot of younger smokers. I can only remember one instance where a chick said my pipe made me look old and one instance where I was asked what, exactly, was in the pipe. At the same time I can hardly recall all the times people complained about my cigar (and the only time I smoke cigars indoors is when I'm in a cigar shop/ lounge). I have had family complain about Penzance indoors but people generally enjoy the smell of pipes. What I can't understand is why people complain about cigars and not clove cigarettes?

In any case, who cares what age group you are associated with because of any number of hobbies? Do what you want re tobacco and if someone doesn't like it explain that you are systematically incinerating the worlds supply of tobacco in order to protect them from the evils of the satanic leaf. Hell, suggest that they, being socially conscious individuals, should fund your efforts! Maybe you'll get some 'baccy for your troubles...


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## webjunkie (Jul 18, 2007)

Dailong said:


> I go to UNC-Chapel Hill. The NC legislature gave the Chancellor of every state funded university the ability to determine smoking policy. First it was banned in the hospital area which makes sense initially until you realize that UNC hospitals covers several acres. Then on January 1st 2008 Smoking within 100 feet of UNC buildings was banned. There no designated areas per se but the flag pole on Polk Place (Main Quad) attracts quite a few smokers. There is even an ashtray now. There is no real enforcement policies in place for it. Technically an employee can be fired but that hasn't happened to my knowledge.
> 
> UNC's campus is beautiful and more so without the cigarette butts but it doesn't make sense: UNC is on Tobacco Road ironically enough.
> 
> Pham


Bwah? Please tell me you can still smoke in bars. Grew up in Chapel Hill and graduated from UNC in '06. Whenever I'm in town I always head over to Linda's to grab a few beers and enjoy smoking while doing so.

Now I'm in Colorado as a grad student at CU Boulder, and they are talking about making all of the CU campuses smoke free, never mind that they turn a blind eye to the amount of pot that the student body uses.


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## Rolando (Jul 17, 2008)

The one thing about smoking a pipe is that after all the time you have for quiet contemplation you find the wisdom to NOT CARE WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS.

The current crop of whipper snappers scare me. It seems they do not know how to be still anymore. Either they are text messaging, IMing, or whatever it is they do they are never alone with their thoughts.

I am a reasonably successful businessman and I will tell you that my best ideas have always come when I was completely alone and completely quiet and I allowed my mind to wander.

This is one of the things that a pipe will bring. Pipe smoking is not something that allows for _much_ activity. I think that is probably why some of the studies show that pipe smokers actually live longer.

So I might look quite the spectacle sitting on the boardwalk at disneyworld smoking my favorite cavendish in my long-assed churchwarden watching the people walk by but I will never care.


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## Professor Mike (Jun 25, 2008)

Rolando:
Very well said sir. My experience is much the same. I'm a former university professor. Several of my most profound lectures have come while totally alone smoking my favorite aromatic blend. We as a society need to learn to slow down and enjoy the many wonders this life offers.
You only go around once so make the trip worthwhile.

Mikep


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## MithShrike (Jan 29, 2007)

I'm 22 but no one is surprised that I smoke a pipe. Then again I'm like an old man already so whatever.


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## joshmickelson (Jul 8, 2008)

I am 25 and love my pipe. I don't really care about age associations.


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## Dailong (Jul 6, 2008)

webjunkie said:


> Bwah? Please tell me you can still smoke in bars. Grew up in Chapel Hill and graduated from UNC in '06. Whenever I'm in town I always head over to Linda's to grab a few beers and enjoy smoking while doing so.
> 
> Now I'm in Colorado as a grad student at CU Boulder, and they are talking about making all of the CU campuses smoke free, never mind that they turn a blind eye to the amount of pot that the student body uses.


Webjunkie,

You can still smoke in the bars. Linda's is my bar of choice and Dennis is the best. You can't beat the cheese fries either.

Pham


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## Mr.Lordi (May 20, 2007)

Mr.Lordi said:


> I notice when I say I smoke cigars and pipe tobacco, people disregard the last part and go "Oh, cigars?" apparently they think all young people with pipes are pot smoking hippies. I tend to take offense, cause I have never smoked pot nor intend to ever do so. It's not even older people with that stereotype either, its young people as well.


Ironically enough, all this time I thought I would get strange looks for smoking the pipe outside and having people think it was the "wacky tobaccy" and it turns out that a 12 year old girl asked me if the cigar I was smoking was Marijuana. lol, no one has said anything about the pipes yet, its the cigars they think I have hidden something in. lol

Thought I'd include this cute little follow up.


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## Crunkleton (Jul 14, 2008)

I just started pipe smoking and I'm 26. I also convinced a 22-year-old friend of mine to give it a try as well. 

I don't really smoke it in public though; typically, I only smoke at Boswell's tobacco shop or on my porch. I can only imagine the unusual stares I would get at a local bar, especially since here in PA nearly every bar and restaurant is going smoke-free indoors. 

Oh well, it's an awesome little hobby and I'm glad I tried it; it's way cooler than walking around with a cigarette.


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## Phlegmatic (Aug 1, 2008)

Interesting thread! I started smoking ciggies in my early 20´s, cant say i liked the them much. It was too fast paced and "druggie" style for me. I realize now, when im older, that it was attempt of self medication for my ADD/Asperger symptoms. I allways feel very unconcentrated. I didnt know I had this syndrome then. After five or so years I quit, as i was showing dental problems from the overuse.

As I described in my intro post in the sticky thread, I allways have liked pipes. They represent a modern way of tobacco use in my opinion! We all know how bad it is to inhale. Try to enjoy a cigarette with out inhaling!?

Also I find pipes are ornaments that becomes every man, or lady, if well chosen! In our day and age most things made are very ugly and made for quick thoughtless comsumption. Older generations could enjoy life in a softer less hasty way. My grandmom complained to me; -"no one ever sits down and talks anymore!" She felt very lonely in her last years. People should learn to sit down and talk to each other again. And in that context a pipe is a really good way to calm things down and feel togethereness! p


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## londoner (Aug 2, 2008)

In the past, pipe smoking was a part of life, People from all walks of life smoked a pipe. But it was mainly seen as a gentleman's past time.

The idea of clay tobacco pipes was most likely adopted from the native Americans. In
Britain, pipe making began quite soon after the introduction of tobacco from North America in
mid 1600 century.

even back then it was seen as a relaxing past time. To think and bring peace to the mind and spirit. all in all an enjoyable past time. even kids were slowly introduced to the concept and were given bubble pipes.

Most Firms went out of business in the early twentieth century
because pipe-smoking was in decline owing to the ever increasing popularity of cigarettes. 

In
the late twentieth century, Tobacco use as a whole had become less socially acceptable,
hence the disappearance of the clay tobacco pipe industry.

I say let the nay sayers say what they like. There will always be people like that. But there will always be us, smoking to our hearts content. we know the simple pleasures of life, how to relax, its somewhat a form of meditation i guess you could say. 

Enjoy itp


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## dillonmcmurphy (Aug 5, 2008)

I'm an 18 year old college student and I started smoking pipe a little more than a month ago. I have smoked cigars and cigarettes, but I had always been interested in pipes. I don't know why, since nobody I know smokes them but my curiosity consumed me and after much research I bought a cob and some baccy. I found that I enjoy smoking a pipe much more than cigars and cigarettes, and so now I only smoke pipe. It definitely is cheaper for me to buy pipe tobacco than cigs and cigars which is a good thing (especially since I'm really tight on money for now). I still occasionally smoke my cob but now I have a pretty little Boswell.


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## rjs62martini (Jun 2, 2008)

Yeah, pipes are cool, I started with cigars and have moved to pipes and have several of them in my collection. I do still enjoy cigars. I also work at a tabacco store on the weekends for fun. I do sell alot of pipes to beginners in the age range of 20 to 25 it appears to almost be a cult like thing. Don't get me wrong as I do sell to an older clients as well but a younger group does appear to be moving back to an elegant way og smoking tabacco. This may be due in part because of all the bad press cigarretts have gotten and right-fully-so.

Long live pipes and fine tabacco's as they are pure and quite good in moderation. Now back to my gin n tonic..... Happy smokin'


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

I quit cigarettes thirty years ago and started smoking
cigars a few months later. I just discovered pipes about four months ago.
I wish it hadn't taken me so long. I love this stuff.
I hardly feel like grabbing a cigar if I can load a bowl.
My cigar stash should last a whole lot longer now. p


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## EDKsurly (Aug 10, 2008)

Im 31 and I just started smoking a pipe last week. I work with a bunch of cig smokers and I felt left out, but I dont like to inhale...so I went with the pipe. In just a week Ive gotten a bunch of guys my age and younger interested in pipes(Including my wife and older brother). Infact I know for sure that atleast 2 of them are getting a pipe because of me. haha. I starting a new trend for the folks in south Jersey ;D

I just want say thx for the info on this board and to some of the guys on youtube (PipeFriendCHS and thesmokeshop).


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